Button sewing machine



July 4, 1944. v F. A. REECE 2,352,734

BUTTON SEWIlLG MACHINE Filed may 19, 1943 Patented July 4, 1944 AThsinvention relatesV to machines for sewing buttons to work, and particularly to theV work and button holding or clamping instrumentalities of such machines. 'Y

The usual button sewing'machine includes, in addition tothe sewing instrumentalities, a work plate for supporting the fabric to which a button is to be attached and a combined presser foot and button clamp for clampingthe fabric upon the Work plate and for holding the button in position for attachment't the fabric by the sewing instrumentalities. In some work, the buttons are attached to the fabric or cloth substantially in engagement therewith or in very close proximity thereto, but in attaching buttons to some garments, such as coats made of heavy cloth, it is desirable that the buttons be spaced from the work by thread necks of a length depending upon the thickness of the material in the region where the cooperating buttonhole is formed. The present invention has for'its obj ect to provide a work and button clamp by the use of which buttons may be attached to the work by thread necks of diiferent lengths in accordance with the requirements.

The invention will best be understood from the following description of an illustrative embodiment thereof shown in the accompanying drawing, in which:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation, partly broken away, of a portion of a button sewing machine including the invention.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged longitudinal section of the work and button clamp shown in Fig. 1.

For convenience, the invention is herein shown as applied to a button sewing machine of the character shown and described in Patent No. 2,158,199, May 16, 1939. Said machine comprises a base l5 supporting a work plate |6 and an overhanging head l1 in which is suitably guided a needle bar I8 carrying a needle 9 which cooper- `ates with underthread or looper mechanism 20 to attach to work W supported on the work plate I5 a flat perforated button B held by a combined presser foot and button clamp assembly generally indicated at C. The body portion of the assembly C includes a short upright stem 2| connected by an arm 22 with a slide 23 guided for vertical movement in the head Il, the arrangement, as shown, being substantially as more fully shown and described in Patent No. 2,096,136, October 19, 1937. The assembly C is normally pressed toward the work W, to clamp the latter on the work plate I6 and hold the button B in properly positioned relation thereto, but may be raised, before and afterv theattaching operations, tov permitthe insertion, removal or positioning of the work and the insertion or removal ofvsuccessive buttons. To this end; the slide 23^isfhelddownward to urge:` the assemblyV C against thevwork by a spring `24 associated with a lever 25 having one end formed to engage a pin l0 carried bythe s1ide 23 and the other end connected, as by a chainV 26, to a treadleZ'Lrnr-y Theparticular construction of the buttonr clamping: means constitutes nov `portion of f thej present invention and may be any suitable type. As shown, the body portion of the assembly C includes a boss 28 which extends downwardly from the stem 2| and supports three jaw carrying members 3|), 3|, and 32. The member 30 carries a button support 33 (suitably apertured to permit pass-age of the needle I9) and is guided for longitudinal rectilinear movement by a rod 34 extending rearwardly from the stem 2| and passing through an opening in an upturned flange 35 on the rear end of said member, and also by the boss 28 itself which is received in a longitudinal slot 36 in said member. The members 3| and 32 are pivotally mounted on the boss 28 and are so interconnected with the member 30 that forward and rearward movement of the latter causes the members 3| and 32 to swing inwardly and out-y wardly toward and from one another. The three members are held in superimposed assembled relation between an upper ange 31 on the boss 28 and a washer 39 secured to the reduced lower end of said boss by a nut 4U. 'Ihe member 30 is normally urged forwardly to close the clamp by a spring4| on the rod 34, and is moved rearwardly to open the clamp by a toggle 42 the knee of which engages an abutment screw 43 on the under side of the head when the assembly C is raised by the treadle 2'|. 1

In accordance with the present invention, the assembly C is provided with a presser foot 45 which engages the work W and clamps the latter upon the work plate I6 and which is vertically adjustable toward and from the button' support 33 and which thereby acts to variably space said button support and the button B from the work so as to cause said button to be attached to the work by a thread neck N of variable length. The forward end of the presser foot 45, which extends underneath the support 33, is suitably forked or apertured, as shown at 46, to permit passage of the needle, and its rear end is provided with an upright threaded stem 41 which is received in a complementary threaded bore 48 in the boss 28 and extending upwardly from the bottom of the latter. The pitch of the complementary threads of the stem 41 and 48 is considerably iatter than standard, so that a complete rotation produces a relatively small change in relative vertical position, thereby providing for Varying the length of the neck N by relatively small increments While permitting the foot 45 to maintain its proper position beneath the button support 33. The parts are held in adjusted position by a lock nut 50.

I claim:

1. In a button sewing machine having sewing instrumentalities and a work plate, a combined work clamping and button holding assembly and means for moving the same toward 'said Work plate to clamp the work thereon, said assembly Y comprising button holding means, a work engaging presser foot, and means for adjustably connecting said presser foot with said button holding means whereby to vary the spacing of a button held by said holding means from work clamped on said work plate by said presser foot.'

ment with respect thereto toward and from said button clamping means, whereby to vary the spacing of a button held by said button clamping means from work clamped by said presser foot.

3. In a button sewing machine having sewing instrumentalities and a work plate, a combined work clamping and button holding assembly and means for moving the same toward said work plate to clamp the work thereon, said assembly comprising a body portion, button, clamping means carried by said body portion, and a work engaging presser foot, said body portion having an upwardly extending bore and said presser foot having a stem in threaded engagement with said bore, whereby the spacing of a button held by said button clamping means from the work may be varied. f

4. In a button sewing mechine having sewing instrumentalities and a work plate, a combined work clamping and button holding assembly and means for moving the same toward said Work plate to clamp the work thereon, said assembly comprising a body portion, a button clamp comprising a plurality of jaw carrying members re1- atively movable on said body portion, and awork engaging presser foot, said body portion having` a bore extending upwardly from the bottom,

FRANKLIN A. REECE; 

